Railway draft appliance



' May 14, 1929-` w. MccowAY. .JR 1,712,672

RAILWAY DRAFT APPLIANGE Filed June 1, 1926 fill Patented May 14, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLAM MCCONWAY, JR., OF IPTTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE IVICCONVJAY & TORLIEY COMPANY, OF PTTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TIN li PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY DRAFT APPLIANCE.

Application led `.Tune 1, 1926, Serial No. 112,974.

My invention relates to draft appliances for railway cars, and more particularly to the type wherein the coupler` is designed to swing laterally so as to assume appropriate angular positions when the car to which it is attached passes around curves.

The primary object of the invention is to afford a construction providing simple, etlicient and durable means for pivotally con neet-ing a car coupler to a draft yoke or its equivalent, the structural features of the mechanism being such as to permit `the car readily to be hauled -to its destination in case the stri ps or links of the yoke device should become broken in service.

rlhe principal feature of the invention consists in employing, in association with a car coupler, a yoke device including a block provided with trunnion sockets and having a forwardly opening slot for reccivinga draft key adapted to extend through slots inthe draft sills of a car, the coupler being formed with integrally attached trunnions extending into the corresponding sockets of the block and being provided, in alincment with` the said slot in the block, with a rearwardly opening slot for receiving a draft key, the rear end of the slot in the block and the forward end of the slot in the coupler being spaced apart a greater distance than the width of the key longitudinally of the coupler so as to `afford clearance 1oetween the forward end of the coupler slot and the neighboring edge of the key. Y

Other features of the invention pertaining to advantageous details of construction and arrangementsof parts will hereinafter appear and be pointed out in the claims.

ln the drawings illustrating preferred e1nbodiments of the invention,-

Figure l is a view, partly in plan and part ly in horizontal section, of a draft appliance embodying` the invention, the rear end of the yokedevice being omitted.

`Figure 2 is a detail view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a view, partly in plan `and partly in horizontal. section, of a modified form of the invention..

Figure 4 is a detail view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, of the structure shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a view, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, of another modilied forin of the invent-ion.

Figure 6 is a detail side elevational view of the construction shown in Fig. 5.

vIn the drawings, 1 indicates the head and 2 the shank of a car coupler. As shown, the coupler shank is formed with vertically extending` cylindrical trunnions 3 which are preferably cast integral therewith. The rear end` Ll of `the coupler shank is curved cylindrically concentric with the axis of the trunnions 3 to forni a bearing for transmitting buiiing forces to the means associated with the coupler for actuating a cushioning unit. Between the trunnions 3 the shank of the coupler is formed witha transversely eX- tending rearwardly opening slot 5 `for receiving a draft key 6. i

The coupler is associated with a yoke device 7 which may be of the usual forni having elongated slots 8 and yoke straps or arms `9.

The coupler is pivo tally connected to the yoke through theintervention of ablock l0 and the standard draft key 6. The block is formed as an integral member having `vertically alined cylindrical sockets l1 for receiving the corresponding trunnions 3, the latter being cast in place in the said sockets. Between the trunnion sockets and extending to the rear thereof the block l0 is fashioned with a forwardly opening slot 1Q for receiving the draft` key; and in advance of the rear end of said slot the block is cylindrically curved, as

indicated at 13, so as to form a bulling hearing for cooperating with the correspondingly curved bearing face 4 at the rear end of the coupler shank. The rear end face lll of the ltrunnien block is adapted to engage the forward follower or other part of the cushioning unit (not shown) located between the arms of the yokerdevice; and if desired the block may be provided with a recess or pocket 15, thus adapting `it to be used in conjunction with the forward follower of the well known Fai-low draft gear attachments. The slots in the coupler, trunnion block and yoke de vice are in horizontal alinement and the draft key which passes therethrough is designed also `to entend through slots in the draft sills of the car in the usual manner. The closed rear end of the slot 12 in the draft `block and the closed forward end of the slot 5 in the coupler are spaced longitudinally of the mechanism so as to afford clearance between the forward end of the slot in the coupler and the neighboring edge of the draft key,

' thereby permitting the coupler to swing laterally without binding upon the key. t

It will be perceived that the construction permits the rear edge of the draft key to be located at a proper distance from the innerV that therefore the latter may be hauled to its destination.

Asshown in the modified form of the invention illustrated inFigs. 3 and 4, thedraft block may be formed as a member 16 of somewhat increased width so as to cooperate with responding' parts.

the links or bars 17 of the well known and widely used Farlow draft attachments. Other features of this form of the invention are preferably identical with those heretof fore described and therefore are indicated by corresponding reference numerals.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a modified form of the 'inveiitionin which the trunnion block member 18 and the straps or arms 19 of the yoke devicevare integrallyV united, thus rendering it normally unnecessary to employ the draft key 6. But the car coupler and the block 18 of this form ofthe device are slotted so as to permit the draft key to be inserted therethrough and through the car'sills, thereby enabling the car to be hauled to its destination in the event of the-breaking of a yoke strap 19. This formk of construction is advantageous in that by cutting off the straps of a broken yoke the coupler and trunnion block 18 may be employed in association with the so-called universal attachments or with the well known Farlow attachments. Except as heretofore described, the structure shown in Figs. 5 and 6 embodies features of construction already described, and accordingly like reference numerals have been applied-to cor- I claim:

1. A railway draft appliance comprising a car coupler, and means pivotally associated therewith for actuating a. cushioning unit, said means including a block provided with trunnion sockets, the coupler having integrally attachedV trunnions extending into the corresponding sockets of the block, and the coupler and block being slotted to receive a draft key, the slot in said coupler opening rearwardly, and the slot in said block extending rearwardly beyond the trunnions.

2. A railway draft appliance comprising a car coupler, and means pivotally connected thereto for actuating a cushioning unit, said means including an integral block formed with trunnion sockets, the coupler having integrally attached trunnions extending into the corresponding sockets of said block, and the coupler and block being slotted to receive a draft key, the slot in said coupler being open at its reai end, the slot in said bloc beine' closed at its rear end, and said end of the s ot in the block and the forward end of the slot in the coupler being spaced longitudinally to afford clearance between the for- Ward end of the slot in the coupler and the neighboring edge of the key.

3. A railway draft appliance comprising a car coupler, and means for transmitting draft forces therefrom to a cushioning unit, said means involving a. yoke device having key receiving slots therein, a block pivotally connected to said cou ler, and a key operatively connecting the lock and yoke device, the block being formed with oppositely disposed trunnion sockets and having a forwardly opening key slot extending between said sockets, the coupler being integrally provided with trunnions extending into the corresponding sockets ofthe block and also being formed with a rearwardly opening slot extending between the trunnions, and a draft key extending through the slots in said yoke device, block and coupler, the forward end of the slot in the coupler being in advance of the neighboring edge of said key.

4. A railway draft appliance comprising a car coupler, and means for transmitting draft forces therefrom to a cushioning unit, said means involving a yoke device formed with slots for receiving a draft key, a block provided with oppositely disposed trunnion sockets and having a forwardly opening slot in alinement with the slots of the yoke device, said block and yoke device being relatively movable longitudinally, said coupler having integrally attached trunnions extending into the corresponding sockets of the block and being provided with a rearwardly opening slot between the trunnions, and a draft key passing through the slots of the yoke device, block and coupler.

5. A railway draft appliance com )rising a car coupler, a yoke device, said coupler and yoke being relatively movable longitudinally of the car in builing, and means for pivotally connecting said coupler and yoke device involving a block, means for pivotally connecting said coupler and block, and a draft key extending through said block and adapted to transmit draft forces to the yoke device, said key and block having transversely extending coacting bearing faces disposed rearwardly of said means for pivotally connecting the coupler and block, and the rear end of said block being adapted to engage a cushioning unit.

llU

6. A railway draft appliance comprising through said slots and adapted to transmit a car Coupler having a rearwardly Opening draft forces to the yoke device, said key havkey Slot therein, a yoke device, and means for ing hearing engagement with the block rear- 10 pivotaliy connecting said coupler and yoke Wardly of said Coupler. 5 device involving a block having akey slot In testimony whereof affix my signature.

therein, means for pivotally connecting said coupler and block, and a draft key extending WILLIAM MOCONVAY, Jn. 

